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About three in ten South Africans over the age of 60 will need mental health medication in the future.
The Prof. Felix Potocnik of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa (Sasop) said that SA was one of the most aging countries in Africa. but differentiated between normal aging and impaired mental health.
"Often, depression and dementia are under-diagnosed, neglected, and untreated in the elderly because of various factors that may include or overlap with other conditions and behaviors. "
According to Stats SA, mid-year estimates in June of last year showed that the proportion of older persons in SA increased from 7.1% (2.8 million) in 1996 to 8 , 1% (4.6 million) in 2017. [19659002] Potocnik worries about the lack of mental health care The World Health Observatory of the World Health Organization (WHO ) estimates that there is one psychiatrist per 100,000 South Africans and less in the public health sector.According to Potocnik, there were five psychogeriatric units dedicated in South African universities, but only that of the 39, Stikland Hospital in Bellville remains, with a long waiting list.
He said that aging accompanied feelings of sadness, anxiety, "Elderly who suffer from depression experience symptoms that disrupt their daily lives, resulting in the withdrawal of social activities, friends and family. family and all that It is important for family members to be vigilant and recognize any behavioral changes, and to seek the help of medical and allied services. "
Potocnik says that dementia first manifests itself in irritability, emotional outbursts, and difficulty in thinking abstractly or logically before patients become forgetful.
" L & # 39; Inability of the brain to function properly begins to affect daily activities The person may thus have an inability to keep his attention and focus long enough to significantly read a book, an article or follow a television program, "said Potocnik .
"In addition to being forgetful, you become repetitive and forget about feeding pets or cooking food in the oven. At more advanced stages of memory loss, one can forget the details and crucial dates as well as not remember or even recognize family members. "
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